Dirigible headlight



- May 13, 1930. GLENNQN 5 1,758,437

DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT Filed May 13, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 13, 1930. J. GLENNON. SR

DI'RI f'BLE HEADLIGHT Filed May 15 1929 2 Sheetg-Sheet 2 Patented May 13, 1930 men .18

JAMES GLE oms oF ,BQCHESTER, MINNESQTA V QM iGIBLE Application filed May l3,

This invention i relates :to -xl-irigible headlights for automobilesand it is designed more I 1 especially as an: improvement uponthestru'ctures illustrated? in my -patents inurnbereid 1,515,105 and 1,644,427.

It is an object of the invention. toprovide -a meanszwhereby the 'dirigible headlight can be; adjusted for accurate connection with automoloiles. 0ft different makes and sizes e i-Another objectis to provide a structure of this. character that permits-,a' limited: movementof' the :tront Wheels -fro1;n aside: to side Without actuating.- the"headlights; saidstnucsture operating. however, ;to turn the head- 1: I lights; to illuminate the pathg ofi-the veh l when% the same? is; given-say right or; left turn.

Anotherwohjeet isrtov so.-arnajnge the amechanis-in' constituting this; invention that-it can be: carriedby the chassis of the vehicle where o n it Will not become clogged withfimud, etc.

splashed by the vehicle when travelling.

A further object f is to improve generally upon the constnuct-ion ot ;-a lOSt: motion meeli- Jainism used in connection Witl'r the-apparatus. With r the {foregoingwand ;;0ther; objects i n View which Will appearyas the description proceeds; the, inventiom resides in the-combination and arrangement ot-parts and" in. the -1d6tfill$a of construction hereinafter -;described 3 i and claimed, it'being unfde'rsto od'that changes 1 in; the ;precise --.e 1,I-1l0'od1'ment -ofthe invention 7 herein disclosed {.1 may 7 be made Within the --scope of What is claimed,,;Withoutdeparting :from the spirit ofthe invention. c

,iIn the -accompa'nying i drawings the preterredlj form-,ot the invention has been shown.

7 ;I1 1sa idd1:awings, V I

;F igure; 1i-is a Front elevation "of -a; portion of an automobile having the present i nprovepm'ents combined therev'vitlnsome of the-,iparts "being i i 'rse' tion- Q r ig reflis it n planrviewo he t uetu m hoz v -i l-Fiigu z f Eig-ure 3 giS v a igertieal transverse ;:B( 3t l@ 1'l t wiis-h t e lamp Ped s a s; thei c nne t n ian adja en ipa t :,E gi; r 1isse tion on; line -4 :41:, Eig re- 1 sFijgur ri-i ase ti a011-line wmfiigurefi- Figure 6 is annenlargedsectionon line- 6 6, :Fi-gurefi- 1 1. a m" et a au omob le.

HEAD I HT 1929. 1 Seria1 N0.- '362,694.

Figure 7 is a seetionwon; line? 7 \-7,- Figurefif Figure -i isga section on line- 8 --8,.;ll ;i-g'Hre-i6. Figure 19 is a sectio n on line 9'9, -Figure 8. (Figure;:l0;isa seetion on line 10.10,!Fi'gure 8.

:Eigure311 isra section on line 11 11, F;i;grure 8. r j zFignredQ is aside; elevationof that portion r of the apparatus econnecte d to A the steering ,60 Figure 13 is a sectionon line l3 ';];3, ,Figqurez l2.

;;-Eigure -14, is 2 an {enlarged section ,on 'line :l4.--1 4,;l?igure 13.

;Eigure 1 5 is a; view partly in elevation and p'artl-y in sect-ion of ,a: portion of one. of, the ;lampi-pedestals. a

,Reterring to thefig-uresby Characters of iI:eference, 1 designates; a portion of the-chassis of an automobile: supported bythefront iaxle -;2; having: the usual =steering;.k=nuckles 8 -;adapted to! be: operated, as ordinarily, by {a .rod 3' connectedto .a steeringannn which, in turn, receives, its motion -fro n %the steering Wheel in the usual way.

yMounted oir the, frontg portion of the chas- }..osis-I-;ar,e tuhula-r pedestals 5-zeach-ofewhichl has an enlargement--- or F head 6- at its npperend. E aeheof these heads or e ilangementsr-is pro- 'vi-ded: with a CiEOul2LI f12tGe 7 in which are, lo-

cated balls 8. ,*These balls support ai ,disk: 9 :secured; to .ranshaft lO" that, is mounted for reetati n wit i n iQ i endedrdQwnwa i ly through: the pedestal. Ilhe upper QI-ldgOf the s fih ift is connecte i any desired manner to. ,a cap 11 which extends over and closes the head or'enlargementfiiand has =connectedt0, it the phase 12.;1of :a damp housing Hi3.

{l hel twoheadsi $01 el ilargements 6.,are eonneeted @by a ,tna-ns rs (ha- 1 pre tera ly f rmedi-e egml thereW t lmi gl1 'i ;i e wb'eeunders oedatlsa i emized; th ebfl a '2 beinadeefl-aeeparate-pieeesuit blye ttae e to the heads 6, 'Fhe1bar;senvesatogsupportga =r0 3pivetaillw enne teda i r nd a te Q a sh wnenertieulaiflyje 1 Li :Eigi A- isA' tea v rsel-yiarche ;c ve ?p ate isa eente eenian ee nd sl egimdinal y se h barl 'iendse ves 11 i hous gst inonrd lewhieheass h mi mEigume, is'ffre tqmw .10)

. at its ends about the axis of rotation of the respective disks 9. Thus it will be seen that the two lamp housings 13 will be actuated simultaneously to turn to the right or to the left by reason of the connection 15 16 between the disks 9.

The lower. ends of thepedestals 5 are secured in base rings 18 that are held to the chassis 1 by bolts 19 extending downwardly through the channeled sides of the chassis as shown particularly in Figures 6 and 7. The bolts at one side of the chassishave their lower end portions extended through a base plate 20 mounted on the bottom portion of the chassis and this base plate 20 is held properly spaced from the top of the chassis by sleeves i 21 mounted on the bolts and fitted snugly at 7 their ends in plate 20 and the top of chassis 1.

V V An opening is formed in and extendlng looselyinto th1s openlng The lower end of the adjacent shaft lOis mounted in this plate so as to rotate relative thereto and formed in the upper face of the plate 20 directly back of shaft 10 is a'recess 22. This recess is located midway between upstanding pins 23 and a pivot pin 24extends shaft 10. 1

Secured to the shaft 10 so as to rotate therewith'is a segment 25 having an arcuate slot 26 concentric withshaft 10.; -A spring-pressed ball 27 is seated in the apex portion of the segment 25 where it is held under restraint by a screw'plug 28. This ball is adapted to be seated in the recess or notch 22 when the segment is in its normal position as shown,for example, in Figures 6, 8, and 9.

Coiled springs 29 of equal strength are connected to the pins 23and also-to cars 30 extending in opposite directions from the segment. Each of these ears has anupstanding lug 31. p v i The pi n 24 extending'fromplate 20 through the slot26 constitutes the pivot of a latch 32 having oppositely extending wings 33 and an intermediate slot 34 extending into. the latch from the outer edge thereof. Under normal conditions the free ends of the wings 33 are between "and in contact with the lugs 31 as shown for example in Figures 6 and 10, these wings 33 being so shaped as to curve backwardly and engage the inner portions of the lugs 31. v

the segment 25 the lower end ofa pin 36 extending-downwardly through the slot'34 from a forked arm 37 that ismounted'oi'i andadapted to swing relative "to the shaft 10. This pin constitutes a means for pivotally connecting the arm 37 to the forward end of a rod 38.

Rod 38 is adapted to be so shaped as to extend rearwardly, downwardly, and laterally jto pass under one side of the chassis 1 and .thencerearwardly for attachment 'to the steering arm 4. As shown in Figure'2 rod 38 is preferably made up of two members screwupwardly from-plate 20' directly in front of threaded and connected by a turnbuckle 39. The rear end of the rod is downturned and mounted movably within a head 40 shown in has slots46 for the reception of bolts 47 These bolts are used for fastening the plate adj ustably to another plate 48 secured to the end of the steering shaft 49 to which the arm 4 is connected. Plate 48has an arm 50 which laps the arm 4 and is held thereto by a clamp 51. Thus it will be seen that plate 45 and the parts connected thereto can be caused to move positively with the arm 4 when the steering -wheel is actuated. I As plate 45 is adjustably mounted, the throw of rod 38 can be regulated by bringing head 40 closer to or moving it farther from the axis of rotation of shaft 49.

By making the rod 38 of two parts adjustably connected, the distance between the head 40 and the pin 36 can be regulated to insure normal positioning of the lamp housings wvhere they point straight ahead. With these adjustments the device can be installed readily on different makes and slzes of cars and the parts all adjusted to assume proper normal positions. 1 I

It is to be understood that plate 20 and the mechanism assembled therewith can all be properly housed so as to be fully protected from mud and the like. Consequentlythere is no danger of the mechanism becoming clogged and inoperative. I i

In practice it will be understood that, when the front wheels of the vehicle are turned to the right or to the left the arm 4 will swing back and forth. When the front wheels are turned but slightly as'when travellingalong arstraight or curved road and passing traffic the movement of arm 4 due to the slight turning of the front wheels will cause a transmission of motion through the rod 38 to the pin 36 and this pin will be caused to work longitudinally of the short slot 35 and at thesame time cause the latch 32 to swing slightly about its pivot 24;

As aresult of the foregoing the shaft 10 to which the segment 25 is attached will not be rotated. When, however, the front wheels are given a decided turn to the right or to the left, as when it is desired to make a right hand or aleft hand turn from a road, the pin 36 Wlll be brought against one end 'of the slot 35 and will move sufiiciently to swing thelatch '32 so that one wing '33 will move inwardly out of engagement with the adjacent lug or ear'YSO while the other wing 33 will move outwardly out of engagement with the adjacent ear 30. Consequently continued movement of the pin will result in a thrust thereby against one end of slot 35 with the result that segment 25. will be moved away from normal position, elongating one of the springs 29 and moving the ball 27 out of the socket or recess 22. As segment 25 is attached to shaft 10, said shaft will be rotated and motion will be transmitted therefrom to the other shaft 10 through disk 9 and rod 15. The two lamp housings 13 will therefore be swung in the direction in which the vehicle is turning.

As soon as the steering mechanism is shifted to straighten out the vehicle after making a turn, pin 36 will first thrust against one wall of slot 34 so as to cause the latch 32 to swing about its pivot 24 and assume a position between lugs 31 as indicated for example in Figures 6 and 10. This action will result in the wings 33 wiping against lugs 31 and swinging the segment 25 so as to impart a quick return movement of the shaft 10, this movement being supplemented by pressure of r the pin 36 against the end of opening 35 which will bring the segment ultimately to its normal position with ball 27 seated in recess 22. It mightbe stated that the spring 29 that has been under tension will act to automatically return the segment to its initial position as soon as the pin 36 starts back.

In Figure 15 there has been shown an oil hole 52 in the cap 11 on'head 6 of the pedestal. This can be normally closed by a screw plug 53 which, when removed, will allow the ball bearing to be lubricated readily.

What isclaimed is: l

1. A dirigible headlight structure for automobiles including connected shafts mounted for simultaneous rotation, a segment rotatable with one of the shafts, a base constituting a support for the segment, ball and socket means carried by the base and segment for holding said segment against free movement away from normal posit-ion, springs connecting the segment and the base for holdv ing said segment normally in said position, a steering arm, and a lost motion connection between said steering arm and the segment, said connection including an arm mounted to swing, means for transmitting motion to the arm from the steering arm, a pivoted latch having oppositely extended wings, means on the segment for engagement by the wings,-

and means movable with the swinging arm for swinging the latch relative to the segment and subsequently shifting the segment.

2. A dirigible headlight mechanism for automobiles including lamp housings, shafts connected thereto and mounted for rotation, a chassis having a channeled side, a base plate mounted therein, fastening bolts extending through said side and the base plate, means on the bolts and bearing against the plate for holding it against dis-placement relative to the chassis, a segment mounted for rotation with the shaft and upon the base plate, saidsegment having an arcuate slot,

a'pivot pin mounted on the base plate and extending through the slot, yielding means for holding the segment normally in a predetermined position, cooperating means on the segment and base plate for holding said segment against free movement, a latch pivotally mounted on said pin and supported by the segment, said latch having oppositely extending superposed wings, upstanding lugs on the segment normally engaging the ends of the wings, an arm mounted for free rotation, a pin extending from the arm and through the latch and loosely mounted in the segment thereby to provide a lost motion connection between the arm and the segment, an automobile steering arm, and an operating connection between said arm and the pincarrying arm,

3. A dirigible headlight structure for automobiles including lamp housings, connected shafts for rotating the same, a steering arm, a plate detachably connected. to and movable with the steering arm, a second plate adjustably connected to said first named plate, a rod pivotally connected to and shift able by the adjustable plate, said rod being adjustable to increase or reduce its length, and a lost motion connection between the rod and one of the shafts.

4. The combination with steering mechanism of a rotatable shaft for supporting a headlight, a member rotatable with the shaft, resilient means for holding the member normally in a determined position, and a lost motion connection between the steering mech-' anism and said member, said connection including an element adapted to be shifted relative to the rotatable member by the action of the steering mechanism, a latch having oppositely extended wings and pivotally mounted between its wings, means carried by the member on the shaft for engagement by the respective wings, and means movable with the element actuated by the steering mecha 

